Vaila
by iSparks
Summary: Vaila Secura is a young Twi'lek with a very unique and special gift, though she doesn't yet know it. It is only when the Jedi Padawan, Aayla Secura, arrives on Ryloth and discovers the force sensitive youngling that her life and destiny will change forever. AU. OC featuring multiple characters and events from the SW Universe.
1. Letting Go

**Synopsis: **Vaila Secura was born into a happy and prosperous family on her home planet Ryloth, when at the age of three she began to show signs of Force sensitivity. It is only a few months later that the young Twi'lek's gift is sensed by Jedi Padawan Aayla Secura and her once simple life turns down a new and exciting path.

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**Vaila**

**Chapter 1**

**Letting Go**

******33BBY**

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"Ouch!" squealed a young Twi'lek girl as a small wooden pebble bounced off her smooth green head and rolled to the floor beneath her. She rubbed her head and frowned as she joined a growing crowd of Twi'lek children, all of whom were mimicking her movements and groaning with frustration.

The three year old Vaila froze as she realised she was next in line. For the last half hour Jedi Padawan, Aayla Secura had been testing the many children of clan Secura by lightly tossing the small pebble at their heads, testing them, after she had apparently sensed a strong force presence inside the clan's magnificent estate but was yet unable to determine its exact source.

"Come little one, I promise it won't hurt" Aayla said in a calm and friendly tone, though Vaila did not know whether the Jedi was being entirely honest with her.

She took a step forward, dropping her head shyly as she stood in front of the taller Twi'lek, she was not used to interacting with anyone outside her extended family that she hadn't met before, and Aayla being a Jedi didn't help. She was afraid of the unknown and what it brought with it, and the fact that a Jedi had suddenly decided to test each child by throwing pebbles at them was very daunting to her. Vaila felt tears well up in her eyes as she stood in front of Aayla, holding her small hands together in front of her and keeping her head facing down, preparing herself for the inevitable.

Aayla picked up the small round piece of wood once again, rolling it in her hand as she took a step backwards and her hand towards the wall behind her before taking aim at Vaila's small blue head.

Aayla however found herself hesitating slightly as she sensed a great fear in the youngling. The rest of the children had taken the small bump from the pebble without much fuss, but this young girl seemed to be a lot more fragile compared to the others, though Aayla also figured that this fear could just as well be clouding the obvious force presence she had been sensing since arriving on Ryloth a few hours prior to this moment.

Vaila yelped as she heard Aayla's arm fly forward, raising her hands instinctively to block the incoming projectile, though she was surprised when the pebble seemed to fail to hit her and she began convincing herself that Aayla had missed and was now angry at her for trying to defend herself.

A few seconds seemed to pass and the whole world was silent before Vaila found the courage to drop her arms and open her bright green eyes and finding herself gasping once again, though this time in shock, as she locked her eyes with the small wooden pebble, which was now floating in the air in front of her.

Aayla's eyes widened and she witnessed the feat, though her features soon softened and she slowly approached Vaila with a small smile on her face, "Very impressive little one" she said in a genuinely friendly tone.

Vaila jerked back a little, breaking her concentration and letting the pebble drop back to the floor, "I… I'm sorry" she stuttered out, dropping her head once again as her shyness got the best of her.

A softer smile crept across Aayla's face and she knelt on one knee and placed a hand on Vaila's shoulder, "You have nothing to apologise for my little friend, you are very special and you should be proud" she said, lifting Vaila's chin up with her free hand.

Vaila hesitated before responding to the Jedi's kindness with a light yet shy smile, earning an even brighter one from the older Twi'lek, "Can you tell me your name?" asked Aayla, keeping the younglings chin held, she noticed Vaila was shaking.

"Vai… Vaila, my name is Vaila" she replied, her voice as low as a whisper.

Aayla lowered her hand from Vaila's chin and offered it to her, "A pleasure to meet you Vaila, my name is Aayla, I am a Jedi, do you know what that is?" she spoke in a simple tone, wanting to make the child feel more comfortable in her presence.

Vaila nervously placed her small hand in Aayla's, staring into her eyes as she did, "You're… The good guys" she replied, keeping her voice low.

Aayla let out a small giggle, "That's right little one; you're very clever" she shook the younglings tiny hand lightly, deciding to cut right to the chase though only after some careful consideration, "Vaila? What if I told you, you could be one of the good guys too? Would you like that?" she asked, keeping her tone soft and adding a hint of understanding in an attempt to ease the youngling's evident fears.

The smaller Twi'lek's eyes widened, as a look of confusion and surprise crossed on her small blue face. Aayla could almost hear the many questions swirling around in the child's head, questions she knew she would have to answer eventually, though it would have to wait until the journey back to Coruscant, which was now her priority.

Aayla knew it would be difficult to convince the youngling to leave the only way of life she knew, as well as her family, friends and home, to go with a stranger to a distant planet and be thrust into a completely new setting. Aayla sighed inwardly, realising the task she know had in front of her.

"No!" a shout came from the crowd of onlookers that stood to Aayla's back, as a turquoise coloured female Twi'lek wearing a white dress ran to Vaila's side, followed by a taller green male clad in a traditional clan robe. The girl's parents, Aayla thought.

Vaila's mother dropped to her knees and embraced her child, holding the younglings head to her chest as she stared both defiantly and sadly at the Jedi who stood in front of her. Aayla could sense the conflict of emotions rushing through the young mother's mind, along with a deepening fear of losing her daughter.

"Please master Jedi, our daughter is everything to us, please, don't take her away!" she pleaded, tears beginning to form in her eyes as she lowered her head on to her daughters, clinging to her like her very life depended on it.

The taller male joined his wife's side, falling to one knee and placing a hand on her shoulder. He turned to face Aayla, taking in a long deep breath; she could sense he was also struggling with his emotions though his face failed to betray them. He smiled at her, before looking at Vaila who had not taken her eyes of the Jedi standing in front of her and her family.

Aayla didn't need the force to see that they cared deeply for their daughter and would not be willing to let her leave them easily, something she herself had not had to go through when she was taken a as child to begin her training.

"Momma?" Vaila asked softly, turning away from Aayla and looking sadly at her mother, "Momma… don't cry" she lifted her small hand to wipe a tear from the older Twi'lek's cheek, her own bright green eyes beginning to water.

Aayla felt her heart sink as Vaila softly pleaded with her mother; a deep sadness filled her as she could only imagine the heartache of losing a loved one like this. She could barely remember her parents, she was sold as a slave to a local Hutt at a very young age and lived a slave's life until she was rescued by Quinlan Vos and brought to the Jedi Temple to nurture her gift. Though she would often think about her family, it would never affect her as much as she was now sure it affected other's so young. She dropped her head and turned away for a moment, finding herself struggling to maintain her focus.

Vaila's mother hugged her daughter tighter to her chest as she locked eyes with Aayla; the look of defiance had been replaced by that of pain while the ever growing sadness remained. She could hear Vaila sobbing softly against her mother's chest, mumbling "I'm sorry" over and over, believing herself the one responsible for her mother's pain.

There was a short pause before Vaila's father stood and approached the Jedi. He was much taller than Aayla, most adult male Twi'lek's were, though he was much more muscular than half the males that were present. An ex-soldier maybe, thought Aayla studying the man's eyes, and although she could sense he too was struggling with his own emotions, he was good at hiding them.

He bowed, more out of respect than anything else, "Master Jedi, please forgive us. This is all happening so quickly, we have been caught off-guard." Aayla could hear a quiver in his voice, "If you would allow it, could we have some time to discuss this with you? Our home is not far from here and it would be an honour to host a Jedi there. Of course, we will try not to keep you for too long" he said, bowing again as he ended and glanced back at his wife and child.

Aayla returned his bow with her own, "Of course" she replied softly, "And please, do not apologise for caring for your daughter, I can tell she is very precious to you" she paused, turning her gaze to see Vaila who was once again staring at her, the younglings eyes stained with tears.

Aayla, walked past the man and knelt beside Vaila's mother, softly cupping the child's cheek in her hand and smiling, "I would be more than happy to be invited into your home, I'm sure we can come to an agreement on what is best for Vaila." she said, earning a reluctant nod from Vaila's mother.

Vaila's father picked his wife and daughter up off the ground, smiling reassuringly as he dusted his wife's dress down. He then placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes, "We can do this" he whispered, though spoke lowed enough that Aayla could hear him and she sensed the young mothers mind calm as her face softened and she was kissed on the forehead by her husband.

Aayla was then led out of the large dining hall and into the mild night air of the world outside. The small village was built into the tall trees of the luminescent forest on the night side of the planet, almost blending into the beautiful crystalline flora that spread throughout the region.

On the way to Vaila's family home, her parents introduced themselves as Nima and Vuren, revealing they had been married for four years and that Vaila had just turned three a month prier. Aayla also learned that the youngling's parents were aware of her sensitivity to the force but were reluctant to tell anyone as she was their only child and they did not want to lose her.

Aayla was gestured into the rather large wooden dome shaped building that was the family's home. The entire interior of the house was one massive room, except for what Aayla guessed was the bedroom area's on the far right corner which were separated by a curved wall. In the centre of the home was a circular fire pit surrounded by a broken ring of red sofas, a scattered collection of small stuffed animal toys lay in a neat line on the back left sofa.

"Please make yourself comfortable Master Aayla" said Vuren, pointing his hand towards the sofas in the centre of the room before activating a small control panel which made the many lights in the large house flash to light, bathing the interior in a warm yellow glow.

Aayla bowed and approached the broken red circle, taking a seat opposite to Nima who was still holding her daughter close to her chest. Vuren soon joined them, seating himself next to his wife and child, while never taking his eyes of the Jedi seated across from him as he activated the and lit the large fire.

"Thank you for your hospitality" said Aayla as she warmed her hands on the dancing flames and sank into the comfortable sofa she had sat on and enjoyed the feeling of the soft fabric, though inwardly, she hoped to herself she would not have to continue with pleasantries for too long. She had a more pressing matter to deal with after all.

Nima looked down at Vaila worryingly before turning her gaze to Aayla, her eyes still stained with tears, "You're going to take her, aren't you?" she asked, her voice almost void of all emotion but still shaken with sadness.

Aayla dropped her head slightly, "I… I'm afraid I must" she said, trying to sound as sincere as she could, "I know it is difficult to accept, but you must know that without proper instruction, your daughter could become a danger to anyone close to her… even you"

Nima's eyes widened upon hearing Aayla's words, as a feeling of shock and fear that she was now all too familiar with continued to well up inside her and threaten to make her explode. She looked down at Vaila once again; the child was in her own little world now, playing with one of the stuffed animals her father had given her from the neat collection.

Aayla couldn't help but smile at the youngling's innocence, though it was usually the first thing the Jedi worked to push away in the constant pursuit of peace in the force. Nima briefly smiled too, though it was a painful one and Aayla suspected that despite Vaila's happy domineer, she could probably sense the inner conflict that was still at that moment tearing her mother to pieces from the inside, though she also probably didn't know why.

"It is… decided then" said Vuren, his voice more shaky than before and a look of accepted defeat in his features, "Vaila will become a Jedi… It's for the best" he continued, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder, a valiant attempt to comfort both of them, thought Aayla, though she was also quite surprised the taller Twi'lek had been so quick to make the decision.

Nima looked at her husband with a broken expression, tears beginning to show once again on the edges of her eyes. Vaila suddenly dropped the small soft toy she had been playing with and looked up at her mother then to her father before finally fixing her widened eyes on Aayla, who know could see the youngling was indeed very much aware of what was transpiring around her.

"Papa? Momma?" she questioned, a hint of a quiver in her low and confused tone.

Aayla stood from her seat before dropping to one knee in front of Nima and Vaila, locking her eyes with the confused and saddened eyes of the young Twi'lek, "I guess I can ask you again Vaila" she said, smiling reassuringly, "Would you like to be one of the good guys too?" she asked, hoping the youngling would not make the situation harder than it already was.

Vaila seemed to think for a second before looking up at her now tearful mother, "Momma?" she questioned again, as if wanting her to make the decision for her.

Nima looked sadly into her daughters bright eyes and smiled, "Make us proud Vaila" she said, hugging the youngling close to her chest as a single tear ran down her cheek.

"Master Aayla, could I make one request?" asked Vuren, leaning forward slightly.

Ayala turned to face him, "Of course" she replied, looking at him quizzingly.

Vuren gave her a small smile before quickly glancing at Nima, "Would you perhaps allow us a final night with Vaila? You can return in the morning and…" he sighed sadly, "...take her with you. It would mean so much to us" he finished, taking his daughters hand in his.

Aayla thought for a moment, on one hand she wanted to avoid any last minute reluctance from Vaila's parents or worse still the girl herself, but on the other hand, she knew how much both Nima and Vuren cared for their child and tearing her away from them now would crush them even more than they already were.

"Normally, I would insist we leave immediately" she said, biting her bottom lip, "But… I know how much Vaila means to you both and I wouldn't dream of stealing a final night from you"

Both Nima and Vuren smiled softly as Aayla gently rubbed the top of Vaila's free head, earning a shy smile form the youngling, "Cherish this night, celebrate your time together, and, when you are ready, meet me in the village square in the morning" said Aayla, bowing with a smile as she made her way out of the dome like house and back into the cool night air. She smiled to herself as she returned to her accommodations for the night.

Back at her home, Vaila smiled brightly as she played with her mother and father around the now fully ignited fire pit. She was not completely aware of what was going to happen in the morning, nor what the future held for her, though at that moment it didn't really matter, she was having fun with her family and that was all she cared about.

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**Disclaimer: **Disney and Lucasfilm Limited own all Star Wars characters and concepts. I do not own the rights to any of the characters, locations or anything to do with Star Wars. Any Original Characters and or locations however are my own.

**Author's Notes: **Thanks for reading guys, I hope you enjoyed this opening chapter of what I hope will be a long and enjoyable story.

Vaila was a character I originally created for one of my earlier story's that I ended up creating a full and detailed background for. That story, _The Broken Hearted Padawan_, went into a little detail about her past, but I still wanted to write Vaila's story as she was a character I found myself wanting to know better and what better way than to create a story of her own?

To give you a summery and a teaser of what is to come, I will be writing this story in mini arcs that will cover the key points of Vaila's arrival at the Jedi Temple, her education as an initiate, her relationship with Aayla and her eventual promotion to the rank of Padawan during the Clone Wars.

Again, I hope you all enjoy Vaila's story and please, feel free to leave me a review and let me know your thoughts.

Anyways, thanks again for reading and I will catch you guys next time. Cheers!


	2. A New Beginning

**Vaila**

**Chapter 2**

**A New Beginning**

**33BBY**

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Vaila stared blankly at the vast blue vortex of hyperspace as she tried to understand the situation she had gotten herself into. It had been three hours since she and her Jedi chaperone, Aayla Secura had left their home planet Ryloth on a Jedi starship bound for the capital planet Coruscant, and though the young Twi'lek had spent the entire journey replaying the events of that morning over and over again in her head she could not shake off a deep sadness that now plagued her.

"_Be strong Vaila and remember that we will always love you" said Nima, her voice breaking as she wrapped her daughter in a tight embrace._

"_Mama…" Vaila whispered, confusion mixing with her already spiralling emotions as she felt her mother's warm tears slowly stain the soft tunic she wore._

"_We must go now" announced Aayla, a cry that only made Nima tighten the grip she held her young daughter in, before feeling Vuren hand on her shoulder._

"_It is time my sweet" he whispered softly, kneeling as she was to join in the embrace._

That was the last Vaila saw of them and yet she still failed to understand why it had to happen like it did. Aayla had taken her hand and led her to the forest floor where the ship awaited, after that, Vaila had stayed in her room for the entire journey up until now, her emotions shifting constantly from overwhelming sadness to mind numbing confusion, as she asked both herself and the world around her one simple yet unanswerable question, why?

"Mama… Papa… I miss you" Vaila muttered, fresh tears beginning to form around her bright green eyes as she dropped her gaze away from the thick sheet of glass that separated her from the spinning abyss beyond.

A knock came on the door soon after, causing Vaila to quickly wipe her now bloodshot eyes clean; she didn't want Aayla to see her crying. As the older Twi'lek entered, Vaila gave her a quick glance before returning to the window. She wasn't angry at the Jedi, far from it, she trusted her to an extent, but right now all she wanted was her family and to return home.

"Vaila?" Aayla called out, he voice soft and kind, though she got no response. "Vaila, you don't need to be afraid. I know it's difficult now, but I'm here to help you, all you have to do is ask"

Vaila then slowly turned to face the taller Jedi, earning a small gasp from Aayla as she seen the bloodshot eyes and tear stained face of the youngling, "I… I wanna go home" Vaila finally managed to get the words out, though she instantly dropped her head in fear of a backlash from the Jedi standing in front of her.

Instead, Vaila was surprised to feel Aayla wrap her in a small embrace as she dropped to one knee, whispering "It's okay" as she gently hugged the younglings head to her shoulder. That was all it took for Vaila to begin crying once again, returning Aayla's embrace with her own and letting her tears loose as she lost herself in the moment.

After several minutes Aayla softly pulled herself away from the younger Twi'lek, giving Vaila a look of her own tear stained cheeks, a sight that surprised Vaila to an extent, "I'm sorry Vaila" Aayla finally said, her emotions suddenly becoming as unstable as the child's, "I never meant to cause you this much… pain" she finished, gasping slightly once again as she struggled to hold herself together.

Now it was Vaila's turn to surprise the elder Jedi, running to her clan mates side and gently hugging her waist, "I'm sorry" she whispered, feeling responsible for Aayla's grief, though in truth, she was too confused to understand what exactly was causing such an emotional reaction from her.

Aayla slowly dropped to her knee once again before placing her hands on Vaila's shoulders and gazing into her reddened but still bright green eyes, "I think we both need some rest" she said, smiling as she dropped into a brief moment of thought, "I know it's hard, but you need to be strong, for both of us and your mama and papa, can you do that for me?" she asked, giving the youngling a reassuring smile.

Vaila nodded, though she failed to return a smile of her own, "I'll… try" she said. Her voice was slightly hoarse, a sign of just how long she had been crying before Aayla had arrived.

Deep down, Aayla could still sense Vaila's desire to return home and it suddenly dawned on her that this was the first time in the three year olds life that she had been away from her parents, a thought that only added to her regret for doing what she had to do.

Aayla then left Vaila to get some much needed sleep, knowing above all the other things she had sensed in the young Twi'lek, exhaustion was the most prominent and Aayla presumed that the final night she had allowed the family to have together may have been the cause. Nonetheless, see too began to feel a little fatigued and decided to retire to her own quarters for the remainder off the journey, the thought of having to present Vaila to the Jedi council later on weighing heavily on her mind as she lay her head on the soft pillow of her bed and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Less than two hours later the hyperspace alarm rang throughout the ship, rousing Vaila from her brief slumber with a start, as she quickly remembered where she was. She sighed sadly and rubbed her eyes, before slowly removing her thin blanket and jumping down off the bed. Gasping with a little surprise, Vaila ran to and looked out the window of her quarters to the sight of the capital planet Coruscant as the ship slowly began its decent.

Having watched Ryloth disappear behind her that morning, Vaila was more than a little shocked at the size of the planet below her, and even more so as the ship descended under the thick afternoon cloud and revealed the vast cityscape of the planet's surface.

"Amazing, isn't it?" asked Aayla, kneeling to Vaila's side and looking out towards the quickly approaching Jedi Temple.

Vaila gasped once again and spun to meet the taller Jedi, surprised that she had not heard her enter the room. She dropped her head shyly and blushed, "…Where are all the trees?" she asked, blushing again as she waited for a response.

Aayla giggled lightly, "There aren't many trees on Coruscant, Vaila" she said, smiling as she turned her gaze to the shy youngling, "Don't worry though, there is a whole forest in the Jedi Temple gardens, I think you'll like it there, it's a lot like home" she continued before pointing towards the incoming temple.

Vaila stared worryingly at the ancient building as the ship landed gently on the eastern landing pad, and it was then that Aayla stood and offered Vaila her hand, an offer the young Twi'lek reluctantly accepted, though only after taking hand of her small leather backpack and strapping it to her back.

After disembarking their transport, Aayla quickly led Vaila through the Jedi temple, giving her a quick tour on the way and pointing out places of interest, such as the archives, communications centre, The Room of a Thousand Fountains and finally, the entrance to the gardens, a sight which made Vaila smile for the first time since the night before, after Aayla pointed out an area where different plants and trees from Ryloth grew.

After spending a brief moment in the garden itself, Aayla led her young clan mate through the main hall off the Jedi Temple and then to the Council Chamber where the gathered Jedi Masters awaited, greeting both Twi'lek with bows before taking their respective seats.

"Masters" Aayla greeted the Jedi Council with a quick bow off her own, a gesture Vaila felt she should mimic though she was afraid she had waited too long and instead gave an awkward looking nod, earning a light chuckle from Grand Master Yoda and making her drop her head shyly.

"Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is" said Yoda, again chuckling lightly as he touched Vaila's senses with his own.

Aayla looked down and gave Vaila a reassuring smile, though she could see this was not an easy experience for the youngling, "Masters, I would like you all to meet Vaila, a fellow member of clan Secura and a potential future Jedi" she said, again turning her attention to the gathered Jedi Masters.

"I sense a great deal of potential in this youngling" said Master Plo Koon, his tone one of calm and wisdom and one that made Vaila feel a little less anxious.

"But also a great deal of fear" Master Windu added, his tone hardening, "This youngling is… fragile, she may be difficult to train" he finished, tapping his fingers on the arm of his oddly shaped chair.

"So quick to make a final judgment, we must not be" said Yoda, "Every youngling to come before us, a chance they have all been given, no different for this one, she will be tested" he finished, facing Vaila and giving her a small grin.

"I agree" said Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, followed by a unanimous agreement from the rest of the council, though Master Windu seemed unconvinced.

Aayla looked down at Vaila once again and smiled, "Thank you masters, I will leave Vaila in your capable hands then?" she asked, returning her attention to the council.

Yoda nodded, "Our thanks you have, Padawan Secura, outside you may wait, until preformed and completed, the test is" he said, gesturing for Aayla to leave with another grin.

Aayla bowed respectfully to the council before turning to leave, only to find herself being clung to by the leg, "Don't go!" shouted Vaila, looking up at her clan mate with worry in her features and bright green eyes.

Dropping to one knee, Aayla placed her hands on Vaila's shoulders and smiled, "It's alright Vaila, the Jedi council are your friends, just like me. Be a brave girl and do what they say, and remember, I will be right outside if you need me" she finished, again smiling in an attempt to comfort the youngling.

Vaila nodded, though reluctantly, before being taken by the hand by Aayla, "Promise?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

"With all my heart" smiled Aayla, before standing once again and slowly leaving the chamber, the doors sealing as she took one last look back at Vaila and nodded with a smile.

Feeling more than a little awkward, Vaila turned to face Master Yoda once again, feeling he had been the only one left in the room who had been kind to her. She shyly rubbed her left arm with her right hand, a habit she was all too familiar with.

"Can you tell us your full name?" asked Master Windu, his tone softening slightly.

Vaila turned to face him, dropping her head shyly as she gathered the courage to respond, "Vai…Vaila Secura" she said quickly, though with a slight stutter.

"Tell me Vaila, are you afraid?" he asked, again in a softer tone.

Vaila could sense he already knew the answer, a realisation that caught her off guard. She felt as though her senses had become a lot clearer all of a sudden, "Yes…" she answered honestly, again moving her right hand to her opposite arm.

"Honesty, a trait all good Jedi should possess" interjected Yoda, looking straight at his fellow Master.

Windu nodded in response, "And why are you afraid?" he asked, returning his attention to the youngling before him.

"I miss my Mama and Papa…" Vaila replied, again honestly as she continued to think about her family.

Windu's features turned slightly grave, "A fear of loss is it?" he asked, his tone matching his look as the rest of the council seemed to match his concern.

"Learn to let go, you must" said Yoda, interjecting once again, "Understand I do, what it feels like to lose one you care for, a challenge to forget it is, but forget you must" he finished, seeming to address the entire council and Vaila at the same time.

Vaila felt a little shocked and confused at what she was being told, she didn't want to forget her family, if fact, she had never wanted to leave them in the first place and now she was being told to let them go, a feat she was not sure she could accomplish.

"This is nothing new my fellow masters" said, Master Plo, "Need I remind you of the difficulties we had with initiate Tano when I brought her before you?" he asked, a question that seemed to make the entire council sink into thought.

"The truth Master Koon speaks, many obstacles a Jedi must face on their path, no different, even for a youngling, it is" said Yoda, an air of understanding in his voice as he once again addressed the council.

Windu sighed though he too seemed to agree with his fellow masters words, "Then we have but one final task to complete, step forward, young Secura" he said, truing his attention back to Vaila.

A little reluctant and confused, the young Twi'lek took four small steps toward the Jedi Master, her head facing the floor as she continued to hold her left arm.

As Vaila came to a stop a few feet away from Windu, the Jedi Master produced a device from a small alcove which opened in one of the arms of his chair, he then closed his eyes and the device suddenly flashed to life, making Vaila lift her head to look at the strange machine.

"Focus your mind, feel the force flow both within and around you" he said, meeting Vaila's gaze with his own.

Not sure what exactly to do, Vaila closed her eyes and tried to concentrate, remembering back to when Aayla had been testing the children of her clan and the unusual power she had drawn on to keep the small wooden pebble the Jedi had been using from hitting her. Almost instantly she felt the strange energy surround her and she could see an image flash in front of her.

"What do you see?" Asked Master Windu, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the small screen in his hand.

Vaila kept her eyes closed and focused, "A… a tree, I see a tree" she said, opening her eyes to see what the Jedi's response would be.

Windu nodded, "Good… focus your mind again, and continue to name what you see until you can see no more" he said, returning his attention to the screen.

Vaila nodded, shutting her eyes once again and concentrating until she felt the force surround her and another image flashed in her mind, "A ball" she said, as the image changed again, "A ring… a ball… a tree…" she was about to continue when the images stopped appearing, causing her to open her eyes once again.

"Done well you have, _Initiate _Secura" announced Master Yoda, his tone soft as he smiled at Vaila, who had turned to face him.

The other council members nodded in agreement at Yoda's announcement. "Padawan Aayla, you may re-enter" said Master Windu, his voice a lower than a shout as he called for Aayla to return.

The chamber doors didn't take long to slide open and allow Aayla to make her way to Vaila's side once again, remembering herself as she bowed awkwardly and caught her breath.

"What is your verdict, my masters?" she asked, looking around the chamber and awaiting a response.

"She is strong in the force, passing the test was not difficult for her" said Master Windu, switching his gaze between the two Twi'lek, "However, she holds a deep fear of loss and, we fear, can be fragile in the face of what she perceives as dangerous. It will be the first thing she will work on as a new initiate" he finished.

Aayla smiled brightly upon hearing that Vaila had been accepted into the order, "Thank you Masters" she said, bowing once again before feeling Vaila take her hand and smile as she looked down at her young clan mate.

"Help her settle in, you will Padawan Secura, until she is ready to begin her training" said Master Yoda, smiling as he seen Vaila turn to face him with a smile of her own.

"You may leave us now, may the force be with you both" added Master Windu, before gesturing toward the door.

Bowing once again, Aayla led Vaila out of the Council Chamber to the corridor beyond and back to the main hall. She then took Vaila into the gardens, leading her to the area where a vast forest of plants and trees from Ryloth covered the surface.

"You did very well Vaila" said Aayla, sitting cross legged under one of the trees and gesturing for Vaila to join her, which she quickly did, sitting in the same position across for the older Twi'lek.

"Do I… get to go home now?" asked Vaila, her tone hopeful as she looked into Aayla's eyes with equal hope.

Aayla was taken a little aback by the question, "Vaila… you must understand, this is your home now" she said, trying to sound as kind as possible, while knowing Vaila would not likely take the news well.

Vaila dropped her head and frowned, though she didn't seem as emotional as Aayla expected she would be, "I… I understand" she said, sighing lightly as she fingered a small pebble on the soft grass she was sitting on.

Aayla reached and lifted the younglings chin, locking their eyes together in that instant and smiling, "I know how you feel Vaila, it's hard, but I will be here to help you as much as I can, I promise" she said, earning a small smile from Vaila as she sniffed the familiar scent of the many plants that surrounded them.

After explaining what Vaila would be doing and learning over the next few years, Aayla took the youngling to Jedi Archives to find her a place to sleep, making sure to pick a room close to her own quarters so she would be able to watch over her. Aayla then led Vaila to her new quarters and helped her settle in; deciding to stay with her that night and make sure she would get some much needed rest ahead of what would be a long and eventful road, though deep down, Aayla knew that Vaila's future would be bright.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **Disney and Lucasfilm Limited own all Star Wars characters and concepts. I do not own the rights to any of the characters, locations or anything to do with Star Wars. Any Original Characters and or locations however are my own.

**Author's Notes**: Thanks for reading guys, I hope you enjoyed chapter 2. I know I said I was going to wait until I finished The Broken Hearted Padawan before continuing but I thought it would be nice to give you a new chapter now after Vaila's spin-off chapters went down so well.

Again I won't promise or say that I will be updating this story soon or until after TBHP is finished, but I will try my best to make it sooner rather than later.

Anyways guys, thanks again for reading and I will catch you all later, cheers!


	3. Blue Eyed Blessing

**Chapter 3**

**Blue Eyed Blessing**

**33BBY**

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_Vaila rolled on the cold stone floor, avoiding the strike of a down facing lightsaber before parrying another blow as she fought a losing battle._

_She tried in one last ditch attempt to strike at her opponent's leg but missed only by mere inches, a feat that made the dark figure she was fighting grin and let out a sick and twisted laugh._

_"Impressive!" he shouted, swinging his lightsaber faster than any normal Jedi and just missing the base of Vaila's neck, again by mere inches, "Most impressive!" _

_Vaila tried once again to mount an offensive, but every time she thought she may be gaining the upper hand, the dark one would only laugh and counter her strongest efforts with those of his own._

_She began to feel tears form in her eyes as an unforgiving fear overtook her mind; a distraction the dark figure took full advantage off, knocking her bright cyan lightsaber out of her right hand and kicking her in the chest as she crashed violently against a curved white pillar behind her._

_"Please!" she screamed; only to be silenced instantly as the air was sucked out of her lungs and she looked down to see the dark figures bright blue lightsaber stabbing into her chest._

_ Then, as darkness took her; Vaila once again heard the sickening laugh of the man who had killed her, of the man, who would kill her._

* * *

Vaila awoke with a loud scream as she almost fell out of her bed. Her forehead and cheeks were drenched in sweat and her lekku had turned from their usual sapphire to a pale sky blue as she found herself breathing rapidly and continuing to scream at the top of her lungs.

She was almost on the verge of hyperventilating when a gentle hand emerged from the darkness of her room and gripped her own arm tightly, rubbing her soft blue skin in an attempt to comfort her, though she was almost too shaken and frightened to realise what was happening around her.

"Vaila!" a familiar voice called to her, "Vaila it's okay, I'm here" Aayla almost shouted, raising her hand and using the force to activate the small wall panel to bring the lights of Vaila's quarters to life, before once again locking her own eyes with the shaken younglings pale face.

Vaila quickly wrapped her arms around the older Twi'lek and sobbed softly into her shoulder as she realised it had all been a bad dream, though saying it was bad seemed to be an understatement, as it had seemed so real to her.

Aayla wrapped her own arms around her younger clan mate in another attempt to comfort her, "You're safe Vaila, it was just a dream" she said, speaking softly as she gently rubbed Vaila's back.

"It was so real…" Vaila managed to say, though her voice was hoarse and a little shaky from the horrific scream she had let loose moments before.

Aayla could sense the intense fear that was plaguing Vaila's mind and struggled to soothe her by sending a wave of gentle comfort through the younglings mind, "Do you want to talk about it?" she finally asked, her own feelings becoming conflicted as she struggled to come up with a solution that would calm the young Twi'lek's shattered thoughts.

Vaila only shuck her head against Aayla's shoulder in response, "I'm scared…" she again managed to whisper, though Aayla could sense she was almost ready to fall back to sleep in her arms.

"It's alright Vaila, I'll stay close to you until morning" she promised, gently lifting the youngling's small frame and taking a seat on the bed before wrapping them both in the warm blanket.

If anything, Aayla wanted to make sure Vaila got at least a few more hours sleep before the sun rose, even if it meant she had to stay awake for the rest of the night in order to do so.

She found it hard to control her own emotions while continuing to touch Vaila's thoughts in an effort to try and soothe the youngling, though at the back of her mind, Aayla feared she may be getting a little too close to her young clan mate for her own good.

Forming an attachment with someone as fragile as Vaila was and at her age could be dangerous and Aayla didn't want to put either herself or Vaila in danger of being threatened by the dark side.

She thought about it until Vaila finally drifted off into sleep, deciding she would bring her to see Master Yoda in the morning to meditate on her dream, but also to relay her attachment issues to the elder Master and what it may mean.

Aayla sighed lightly, once again using the force to turn the lights of the small quarter out, before finally closing her own eyes and quickly falling to sleep, the sound of Vaila's light breathing the last thing she heard before drifting into a deep slumber of her own.

When Aayla awoke, she was surprised to find Vaila had gotten up early and was now sitting in a small chair at the now open window, playing with a small blue bird that chirped happily as it hopped onto the young Twi'lek's outstretched finger.

Aayla was then once again surprised to hear the youngling let out a small laugh. It was the first time she had heard the gentle sound since she had first met Vaila and she couldn't help but smile herself as she slowly got out of the bed and made her way to the small girl's side.

Vaila smiled, letting the bird hop back off her finger as the small animal began to sing towards the rising sun, which peaked out behind a faraway cloud.

"I've never seen a bird like this before" Vaila said thoughtfully, while never taking her leaf green eyes away from the small bird as it continued to sing it's happy tune.

Aayla smiled, "It's probably from another planet, far away from here, lots of the birds that live in the temples gardens where brought here from all over the universe" she spoke with a joyful tone as the warm rays of the sun danced across the planet surface and gently touched her face with a warm breeze.

Vaila seemed to frown a little, "Did he have to leave his family too?" she asked sadly, obviously comparing her own situation with that of the bird and sounding just as innocent as she made the comparison.

A sigh of regret escaped Aayla's lips as she too let a small frown cross her features, "Vaila, part of being a Jedi is letting go of feelings like that, I know you loved your parents, but, I think they would want you to do your best to make them proud, right?" she asked with a hopeful tone.

A look of slight doubt is the only response Vaila was able to give as she lightly bit her bottom lip and turned her gaze back to the rising sun.

Aayla could tell her young clan mate was conflicted, she could sense that Vaila wanted nothing more than to make her parents happy but she also knew the youngling would much rather do that in person and not as far away as she now was from her home.

"Will… will you help me?" Vaila finally broke her short silence as she turned her bright green eyes up to Aayla and gave her a questioning expression, "I want my Momma and Papa to be happy…" she added with a small frown.

Aayla smiled sadly, "I'll do my best, you will make them proud, Vaila, I know you will" she replied with a small nod, "Now, let's go get some breakfast, we have a long day ahead and we need a nutritious start" she added with another smile and offered her hand to the younger Twi'lek who took it with a small mile of her own.

Aayla then helped Vaila get dressed for the day ahead, helping her pick out an outfit she liked from the small selection of initiate robes that were piled up in one of the rooms dressers as well as a new piece of head wear and a pair of boots.

"Would you like me to tie some bands to your lekku, like mine?" Aayla asked as she finished teaching the younger Twi'lek how to tie up the laces of her boots.

Vaila took a moment to think before picking up her new head piece and placing it so that her lekku hang to the front rather than down her back like Aayla's, "Um… is it okay if I leave them like this?" she asked innocently as she pointed towards the short pair of head tails as if to emphasize the question.

Aayla giggled, "Of course it's okay, silly, you can wear them any way you like" she replied with a smile as Vaila's cheeks turned a shy shade of purple and she too smiled, though a little awkwardly as she dropped her gaze to the ground once again and began to rub her left forearm out of shy habit.

The pair then left Vaila's new quarters and slowly made their way to the temples mess hall and Aayla took the opportunity to once again show her young clan mate a few different points of interest as well as having her keep a mental note of how to get back to her room should Aayla not be around to help her herself, a thought that seemed to make Vaila worry, though Aayla was quick to reassure the youngling that she would not leave her until she was sure Vaila was able to do it all by herself.

"How about you pick a seat and I'll go make up some breakfast for us both?" Aayla asked with a small smile as the Twi'lek pair arrived at the temples large mess hall.

Vaila nodded before happily skipping to a quiet corner of the hall and taking her seat and quickly turning to watch the elder Twi'lek as she placed a few tasty looking items and drinks on a pair of small metal trays.

She hadn't intended to, but suddenly Vaila could feel and sense the thoughts of a host of presences as her mind seemed to reach out on its own through the force and touch the feelings of every other Jedi Knight, Padawan and Initiate that shared the mess hall with her.

Vaila's deep state of concentration was then altered slightly as she touched the mind of one Jedi who seemed to be, unlike the others, conflicted in how he was thinking. It was strange, but suddenly Vaila felt threatened and her entire body seemed to act on its own as she opened her closed eyes and seen the world around her in a haze of sapphire blue.

"Vaila!?" Aayla's shocked tone broke through the young Twi'lek's strange force induced meditation as Vaila quickly blinked and her vision and thoughts returned to normal, though what wasn't normal was her sudden state of weariness that just as suddenly washed over her entire body.

"I… I'm s… sorry…" Vaila stuttered as her eyes fluttered and she felt herself come to rest in Aayla's arms, almost falling off the side of her chair.

"Vaila… Vaila keep your eyes open, everything's going to be okay" Ayala spoke quickly though her tone had turned from one of surprise to one of shock and fear.

"I… Aayla… I'm so… so tiered" the youngling managed to speak though her entire body seemed to have lost any and all energy as well as the ability to move as she stared up at the worry filled expression of the older Twi'lek and with a small whimper, finally fell out of consciousness and into a deep and captivating slumber.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Disney and Lucasfilm Limited own all Star Wars characters and concepts. I do not own the rights to any of the characters, locations or anything to do with Star Wars. Any Original Characters and or locations however are my own.

**Author's Notes:** Hey guys, thanks for reading chapter three and I hope you liked it. I'm actually really enjoying writing Vaila's story and have so many different adventures and experiences planned for her to take part in as she begins her journey to becoming a Jedi.

As you probably noticed, I place the year in which these events take place at the top of every chapter and the reason behind this is because Ii plan to skip ahead in years from time to time in order to concentrate on the more important parts of Vaila's life. For example, I plan on chapter four and five being the final chapters to take place in 33BBY before jumping ahead to 32BBY in chapter six and so on; I hope this concept is alright with you all.

Also, I realise that this chapter is a little shorter than normal and a little cryptic in regard to both Vaila's dream (See The Broken Hearted Padawan) and the strange incident that happens in the mess hall later on, but I promise that all will be explained soon.

Again, I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter and as always a review on your thoughts is always very much appreciated.

Anyways, thank you all as always for reading and I will catch you guys next time, cheers!

* * *

**Responses: **

**Guest: **At the moment, I don't have any plans for Master Fisto to be involved with this story but that's not to say he won't be in future. It's well known that he had a good relationship with Aayla so I might incorporate that into a chapter at some point in the future, well see.


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